III

In the morning Hibbert realised he had done, perhaps, a foolish thing.  The brilliant sunshine that drenched the valley made him see this, and the sight of his work-table with its typewriter, books, papers, and the rest, brought additional conviction.  To have skated with a girl alone at midnight, no matter how innocently the thing had come about, was unwise—­unfair, especially to her.  Gossip in these little winter resorts was worse than in a provincial town.  He hoped no one had seen them.  Luckily the night had been dark.  Most likely none had heard the ring of skates.

Deciding that in future he would be more careful, he plunged into work, and sought to dismiss the matter from his mind.

But in his times of leisure the memory returned persistently to haunt him.  When he “ski-d,” “luged,” or danced in the evenings, and especially when he skated on the little rink, he was aware that the eyes of his mind forever sought this strange companion of the night.  A hundred times he fancied that he saw her, but always sight deceived him.  Her face he might not know, but he could hardly fail to recognise her figure.  Yet nowhere among the others did he catch a glimpse of that slim young creature he had skated with alone beneath the clouded stars.  He searched in vain.  Even his inquiries as to the occupants of the private chalets brought no results.  He had lost her.  But the queer thing was that he felt as though she were somewhere close; he knew she had not really gone.  While people came and left with every day, it never once occurred to him that she had left.  On the contrary, he felt assured that they would meet again.

This thought he never quite acknowledged.  Perhaps it was the wish that fathered it only.  And, even when he did meet her, it was a question how he would speak and claim acquaintance, or whether she would recognise himself.  It might be awkward.  He almost came to dread a meeting, though “dread,” of course, was far too strong a word to describe an emotion that was half delight, half wondering anticipation.

Meanwhile the season was in full swing.  Hibbert felt in perfect health, worked hard, ski-d, skated, luged, and at night danced fairly often—­in spite of his decision.  This dancing was, however, an act of subconscious surrender; it really meant he hoped to find her among the whirling couples.  He was searching for her without quite acknowledging it to himself; and the hotel-world, meanwhile, thinking it had won him over, teased and chaffed him.  He made excuses in a similar vein; but all the time he watched and searched and—­waited.

For several days the sky held clear and bright and frosty, bitterly cold, everything crisp and sparkling in the sun; but there was no sign of fresh snow, and the ski-ers began to grumble.  On the mountains was an icy crust that made “running” dangerous; they wanted the frozen, dry, and powdery snow that makes for speed, renders steering easier and falling less severe.  But the keen east wind showed no signs of changing for a whole ten days.  Then, suddenly, there came a touch of softer air and the weather-wise began to prophesy.